It is now possible to extract shale gas economically, using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’), in which water, sand and small quantities of added chemicals are used to open up fractures in the rock, allowing the gas to flow more freely.

Geological expertise is vital to locate shale gas resources, and to understand and manage possible risks linked with their extraction, such as induced seismicity or aquifer contamination due to poor well construction.

Resources:

The Geological Society Shale Gas Briefing Note

British Geological Survey: Shale Gas Information Page

The ReFINE Project
The leading independent research consortium on fracking, led jointly by Newcastle University and Durham University

Past Events

Fracked or fiction: so what are the risks associated with shale gas exploitation? (April 2014)

Watch the London Lecture by Richard Davies of Durham University's Researching Fracking In Europe (ReFINE) project:

Shale Gas in the UK (June 2012)

• Introductory talk on Shale Gas in the UK - David Manning
• What is shale gas, what is the likely UK resource and where is it? - Professor Mike Stephenson, BGS
• Shale gas and Hydraulic Fracturing - Richard Davies
• Can shale gas be extracted safely? Induced Seismicity - Professor Peter Styles
• Can shale gas be extracted safely? Groundwater, well integrity, use of water - Rob Ward
• What is the regulatory framework for shale gas exploration in Great Britain - Tony Grayling
• Open discussion after the Shale Gas Talks

Shell Lecture: Unconventional Gas, Melvyn Giles (May 2012)

Policy documents and consultation responses

• Letter to the Guardian from the President - August 2013
• Geological Society statement following Government announcements on shale gas - December 2012
• Supplementary memorandum to the inquiry into the Impact of Shale Gas on Energy Markets - December 2012
• Submission to House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee Inquiry: The Impact of Shale Gas on Energy Markets - October 2012
• Submission to Department of Energy and Climate Change Inquiry: Preece Hall Shale Gas Induced Seismicity - May 2012
• Submission to House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee Inquiry: Shale Gas - January 2011
• Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering and Geological Society Report on Shale Gas - April 2012